TWO soldiers have taken on a mountainous task by entering a skiing contest in the French Alps.

Paul Anderson, from Chester-le-Street, and Emily Sarsfield, from Durham, are both taking part in a British Army skiing competition, staged in the French ski resort of Serre Chevalier.

Mr Anderson, 23, a lance corporal with the Royal Logistic Corps' Catterick-based 8 Transport Regiment, served in Iraq last year.

Exercise Spartan Hike is one of the highlights of the British Army's winter sports calendars. The competition is open to everyone, from young skiers hoping to represent Great Britain in future winter Olympics, to those who have spent only a few days skiing.

Mr Anderson, a military driver, whose father, Finnley, lives in Nettlesworth, near Chester-le-Street, said: "It is great fun and challenging. I'm a novice and the others in the team are carrying me through - they are all ranked within the top ten skiers in the Army.

"I'm definitely learning from some of the best."

The contest involves long distance races, biathlons, involving skiing and shooting and the Military Patrol, with teams of four skiers carrying 40kg between them around a 20km course.

Miss Sarsfield, 20, a former pupil of Belmont Comprehensive School, is an officer cadet with the East Midlands University Office Training Corps.